Carton for windshields



July 17, 1962 w. F. RICHARDSON 3,044,615

CARTON FOR WINDSHIELDS Filed Feb. 19, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.M/fiam F/fib/rardsm A/m'wey y 1962 w. RICHARDSON 3,044,515

CARTON FOR WINDSHIELDS Filed Feb. 19, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2'I/IIIIII/IIII/I y 17, 1962 w. F. RICHARDSON 3,044,615

CARTON FOR wmnsumws Filed Feb. 19, 1959 5- Sheets-sheet 5;

United States Patent 3,944,615 CARTQN FOR WINDSLDS William F.Richardson, Carthage, Mo., assignor to Flex- O-Lators, lnc., Carthage,Mm, a corporation of Missouri Filed Feb. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 794,309 15Clm'ms. (ill. 206-62) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in shipping and storage cartons, and has particularreference to a carton especially adapted for the shipping or storage ofWindshields.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of acarton having means whereby a windshield is supported therein firmly andsecurely in cushioned pads or supports, in widely spaced relation fromall of the outer walls of the carton.

Another object is the provision of a carton of the class described whichis particularly adapted to receive windshields of widely variableconfigurations, especially as to the shape of the end portions thereof.

A further object is the provision of a carton of the class describedincluding a pair of channel-shaped pliable and padded slings orstirrups, each adapted to be fitted about one end portion of awindshield, and to conform closely to the shape thereof, and supportsfixed in said carton to which the ends of each of said slings orstirrups are affixed.

Still further objects are the provision of a carton of the classdescribed which requires a minimum of material in addition to the cartonwalls themselves, and into and from which the windshield may be insertedor removed conveniently and quickly.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, efficiency anddependability of operation, and adaptability for use in the shipping andstorage of articles other than Windshields.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appearin the course of the specification, reference will be had to thedrawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a carton embodyingthe present invention, with a windshield mounted therein, taken on line-II of FIG. 2,

'FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 11-11 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line lllIll of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the windshield supportinginserts, shown removed from the carton,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line V-V ofFIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line VI-VI ofFIG. 2, with layers of the sling slightly separated for clarity,

FIG. 7 is a face view of the parts shown in FIG. 6, with layers thereofbroken away to illustrate the construction thereof,

FIG. Sis a view similar to FIG. 5, showing a slightly modified form ofconstruction,

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIG. 1 showing anothermodified form of structure in which the windshield supporting pads areformed from portions of the carton blank,

FIG. 10 is a lay-out view of one-half of the blank used to form thestructure shown in FIG. 9, and

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 9, showing still another modified formof construction.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the severalviews and the numeral 2 applies generally, in the species of myinvention shown in FIGS. 1-7, to a rectilinear container or carton ofordinary construction, formed of corrugated cardboard, fiberboard, orthe like.

ic e Although the specific-construction thereof is not pertinent tothese species of the invention, carton 2 as shown includes a front wall4, rear wall 6, and a pair of end walls d. Foldably connected to eachend wall 8, respectively at the upper and lower edges thereof, are apair of inwardly extending flaps lit. Foldably connected to front wall 4and rear wall 6, respectively at the upper and lower edges of each, is aflap 12. Flaps are folded inwardly over end flaps l0 and form the topand bottom walls of the carton. The flaps 12 at the top and at thebottom of the carton meet at the longitudinal centerline of the cartonand are joined by adhesive tapes 14 or other suitable means to seal thecarton, as best shown in FIG. 3. Flaps 12 could also be of such width asto overlap each other, and be glued or stapled together.

It will be seen that the carton 2 is elongated, as is the Windshield 16to be supported therein and that the major dimension of the windshieldis arranged parallel to longitudinal axis of the carton. MostWindshields of modern" design, however, are of quite irregular shape.The central portion 13 thereof is usually curved at least slightly in ahorizontal plane, and the extreme end portions 20 thereof are usuallyswept rea-rwardly more sharply in a curve of shorter radius. Moreover,while the top and bottom edges of the windshield may be generallyparallel or nearly so, the edge configuration of the end portions 20 isnormally quite irregular, and is subject to wide variations. It is aprime object of this invention to provide a carton which will supportproperly a wide variety of Windshields despite these variations ofconfiguration.

The windshield is supported in the carton by means including a pair ofinserts each designated generally by the numeral 22 and disposed withinsaid carton respectively at opposite ends thereof. Each of said inserts,as best shown in FIG. 4, is formed of a single length of corrugatedcardboard, fiberboard or other suitable material, folded to present anend panel 24 coextension with and lying against the adjacent end wall 8of the carton, a top panel 26 and a bottom panel 28 extending inwardlyrespectively from the top and bottom edges of end panel 24 and lyingrespectively against the top and bottom end fiaps 10 of the car-ton, anda pad or head 30 at the inner end of each of panels 26 and 23. Each bead30 is of triangular cross-sectional contour with one base thereofresting against the associated panel 26 or 28 and an apex thereofprojecting toward the opposite side of the car-ton, and being of suchlength that its opposite ends bear re- I spectively against the frontwall'4 and rear wall 6 of the carton. As best shown in FIG. 5, beads 30*are formed by the extended end portions of panels 26 and 28, each ofwhich is folded along a series of parallel lines to form, in sequence, apanel 32 forming one wall of the extending apex of the pad, a panel 34forming the other wall of said extending apex, a panel 36 lying flatagainst the associated panel 26 or 28, a panel 38 lying against theinher surface of panel 32 and extending about half-way to the apex ofthe bead, a panel 4% parallel to panel 36 and disposed about half-waybetween the apex and panel 36, and a panel 42 lying against the innersurface of panel 34 and having its free edge engaging panel 36.. Thevarious panels forming the bead may be glued, stapled or otherwisesecured in position if desired, but this is not essential since, as itwill appear, the windshield itself will hold all of the panels in properrelation. Each of the beads or pads 30 carried by each insert 22 has" anotch 44- formed in the apex thereof, said notch being cut to the depthof panel 46 of the bead, also as best shown in FIG. 5. i

The beads 30 carried by one insert 22 are adapted to receiverespectively in the notches 44 thereof the upper and lower edges of thewindshield, adjacent one end of windshield, and the beads of the otherinsert 22 similarly stresses and strains incident to localized support.

engage the upper and lower edges of the windshield adjacent its oppositeend, as best shown in FIGS. 1-3. Each end of the windshield is furthersupported by a pliable sling or stirrup 46, the construction of which isbest shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. As shown, it comprises a length of springwire formed in a series of loops spaced longitudinally of the sling,successive loops 48 and 59 being disposed respectively in planes spacedapart transversely of the sling and joined by connected portions 52 toform a skeleton channel. This skeleton channel is covered inside and outwith padding layers 54 which may constitute strips of thick, soft pulppaper or other suitable material, and by an outer sheath 56 which mayconstitute a tough kraft paper or other suitable material. The sheath,it formed of paper, is preferably creped or wrinkled to give the slingadded flexibility or pliability.

in use, a sling 46 of the proper length is cut and fitted over the edgeof the windshield around each end portion thereof as indicatedin FIGS. 6and 7, the channel-shaped configuration of the sling permitting thesling to be applied in this manner. It will be understood further thatthe looped wire frame of the sling is so tensioned as to grip thewindshield frictionally between the walls of the channel shape. Thecarton top is then opened, upper carton flaps 10 and 12, and upperinsert flaps 26, being folded outwardly. The windshield 16 is thenlowered into the carton, glue having been first applied to the lower endportion of each sling 46, until said lower end portions of the slingsare engaged respectively in the notches 44 of the two heads 30 supportedby the bottom of the car-ton. Said slots are proportioned to receive thesling very snugly therein. The previously mentioned glue forms acemented connection 58 between the slings 46 and beads 39. Glue is thenapplied to the upper end portions of the slings, and upper insert flaps26 are folded inwardly until the notches 44 of the beads 30 carriedthereby respectively engage the upper ends of the two slings as shown,the glue then forming a cemented connection 6% therebetween. Closure ofthe ear-ton may then be completed by folding upper carton flaps in andi2 inwardly, and applying the upper tape 14. 7

Thus it will be apparent that a carton having several advantages hasbeen produced. The windshield is prevented from shifting in a directionparallel to its major dimension by slings 46, since the slings aresecured in beads 30, and since the beads themselves are prevented fromshifting toward the end walls 8 of the carton by panels 26 and '28 ofthe inserts 22, panels 26 and 28 being seated against said end walls.The slings themselves are sufiiciently pliable to conform to the endconfiguration of virtually any windshield, despite irregularities and Ivariations of such configuration, so that they will support thewindshield uniformly around its ends, without the The wire frames of theslings impart thereto a rigidity of cross-sectional form, and also africtional gripping ac-' tion against the glass, which prevent theslings from slipping off the edges of the windshield under anycircumstances. Moreover, with the wires arranged as shown, they do notmaterially affect the pliability or flexibility of the slings. The beads30 prevent the windshield from moving either forwardly or rearwardly, orupwardly or downwardly, since the beads are prevented from moving in anyof these directions by their direct engagement with the outer wallsof-the carton. The panels 32 and 34, which are the prime edge supportsof the windshield, support the windshield in spaced relation from theouter carton walls, and are sufficiently flexible to provide thenecessary resilience of support to permit normal handling of the cartonwithout danger of breaking the windshield. The sloping inclination ofthese panels, which results from the triangular shape of the bead, alsocontributes to the desired flexibility or yieldability of support.Additional edge support for the windshield is provided by the internalpanel 40 of the head, which is supported in spaced relation from thebase panel 36 by panels 38 and 42. The triangular configuration of thebeads is considered to have the further advantage that they require lessmaterial than other shapes, and also that with this shape the variouspanels forming the bead cannot become disarranged relative to each otheronce the windshield has been inserted, even if said panels have not beenglued or otherwise fastened together, or even if such fastening shouldbecome loosened. Other advantages of the carton are that the windshieldmay be inserted or removed without special or unusual tools orapparatus, and very quickly and conveniently.

In the modification of the invention shown in FIG. 8, it will beunderstood that the insert and bead arrangement is substantiallyidentical to that shown in FIG. 4, corresponding parts thereof beingindicated by corresponding primed numerals, except that the beads 3d,instead of being formed integrally with the top and bottom panels 26'and 28 of the insert 22', are formed of separate sheets of cardboard orthe like, and are afiixed to the free ends of the panels 26' and 28 bystaples 62 or any other suitable means. This structure, whilefunctionally identical with that shown in FIGS. 1-7, is considered topossess an advantage, of economy in that when beads are required havingnotches 44' variously positioned and proportioned to accommodateWindshields of different configurations, only the beads need be changedrather than the entire inserts. t

In the modification of the invention shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the beads30", which correspond to beads 30 of FIGS. 1-7 and bear correspondingdouble primed numerals, are formed integrally with the end flaps 10 ofthe carton. FlG. 10 shows a laid out cardboard blank for forming onehalf of the carton shown in FIG. 9, it

being understood that the blank for forming the other half of the cartonis identical to that shown. The panels 32", 34", 36", 38", 40", and 42."for forming each head 31)" are formed as extensions of end flaps 10'.

In the modification of my invention shown in FIG. 11, the carton itselfis identical to that shown in FIGS. 13, and separate beads 30' identicalto that illustrated in FiG'. 8 are secured to the innner ends of endflaps it} by any suitable means such as staples 64. The two species ofthe invention shown in FIGS. 9 and 11 are considered to possess anadvantage over those illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 8 in that they do notrequire separate inserts to carry and support the beads. They do,however, require cartons of special configuration in that they must haveflaps 1i) arranged as shown, whether the beads are aifixed to orintegral with said flaps. The species of FIGS. 1 and 8, on the otherband, do not require special cartons since inserts 22 will operate inconjunction with any carton of the proper size regardless of itsconstruction, and this is also considered to be advantageous undercertain circumstances.

While I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of myinvention, it will be readily apparent that many minor changes ofstructure and function could be made without departing from the spiritof the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: t

1. A carton for Windshields comprising an elongated hollow rectilinearcontainer having top, bottom, side and end walls, a pair of supportbeads disposed within said container and extending horizontally acrosssaid container in spaced apart relation from one end thereofrespectively against the top and bottom walls of said container, asecond pair of support beads similarly disposed adjacent the oppositeend of said container, the edge of each of said support beads having anotch formed therein, means supporting each of said support beadsagainst movement toward the adjacent end of said container andsupporting it against the adjacent top or bottom wall of said container,and a pair of pliable slings, the ends of each of said slings beingafiixed respectively to the support beads adjacent one end of saidcontainer, said sling being of sufficiently short length that whendepending freely from its ends toward the corresponding end wall of said-con' tainer it is supported out of engagement with said end wall.

2. The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein said support beads extendtransversely to the general plane of the windshield, and are of suchlength that the opposite ends of each bead bear respectively againstopposite walls of said container, whereby longitudinal movement of saidbeads in said container is prevented.

3. The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein said support beads areformed of resiliently yieldable material.

4. The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said beads is oftriangular cross-sectional contour with a flat side thereof supported bya Wall of said container and an apex thereof projecting inwardly in saidcontainer, the notch of said bead being formed in the projecting apexportion thereof, the base of said notch being spaced apart from the flatside of said bead which bears against the container wall.

5. The structure as recited in claim 4 wherein said bead comprises asheet of foldable, resilient material folded along lines longitudinal tosaid bead to define a series of panels, said series comprising insequence a first panel based on said container wall, second and thirdpanels defining the projecting apex of said triangular bead, a fourthpanel based on the inner surface of said first panel, a fifth panellying against the inner surface of said second panel and extending onlypart way to the apex defined by said second and third panels, a sixthpanel parallel to said first and fourth panels, and a seventh panellying against the inner surface of said third panel, the free edge ofsaid seventh panel engaging said fourth panel, said notch being formedin the portions of the second and third panels adjacent the joinderthereof, the base of said notch being aligned with the wall formed bysaid sixth panel.

6. The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said slings is ofchannel-shaped cross-sectional contour whereby it may be fitted over theedge of a windshield around an end thereof.

7. The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said slings is ofchannel-shaped cross-sectional contour whereby it may be fitted over theedge of a windshield around an end thereof, the end portions of saidsling being engaged and secured in the notches of the associated supportbeads.

8. The structure as recited in claim 7 wherein each of said slingsincludes an internal wire frame of channel shape with padding layersthereover, said frame being tensioned to urge the walls of said channeltoward each other, whereby to grip an edge portion of said windshieldfrictionally therebetween.

9. The structure as recited in claim 7 wherein each of said slingsconstitutes a length of spring wire formed to present a series of loops,alternate loops being disposed respectively in parallel planes spacedapart transversely of the axis of said sling, whereby said loopstogether with the wire portions connecting them define a skeletonchannel, the wire being tensioned to urge the loops defining therespeective walls of said channel toward each other, and padding layersof pliable material covering said chanhe].

10. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means supportingthe beads against movement toward the adjacent ends of the containerconstitutes a pair of inserts positioned respectively at the oppositeends of the container and each constituting an end panel bearing againstone end of the container, and top and bottom panels extending inwardlyrespetcively from the upper and lower edges of said end panel toward theopposite end of said container, said top and bottom panels beingrespectively directly adjacent the top and bottom of said container, andwherein the pair of beads adjacent each end of the container areattached respectively to the inner edges of said top and bottom panelsof the associated insert.

11. The structure as recited in claim 10 wherein said beads are integralwith and form a part of said inserts, being formed by folding the innerportions of said top and bottom insert panels along lines transverse tothe direction of extension of said panels.

12. The structure as recited in claim 10' wherein said beads are formedseparately from said inserts, but are permanently aflixed to the inneredges of said top and bottom insert panels.

13. The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein said container is formedof foldable material and includes internal flaps extending inwardly fromthe upper and lower edges of each end wall thereof, and wherein each ofsaid beads is attached to the inner edge of each of said fiaps.

14. The srtucture as recited in claim 13 wherein each bead is integralwith the associated flap, being formed by folding the inner end portionof said flaps along lines transverse to the direction of extension ofsaid flap.

15. The structure as recited in claim 13 wherein each of said beads isformed separately from its associated supporting flap, but ispermanently affixed thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,216,105 Balfe Oct. 1, 1940 2,337,468 Hilger Dec. 21, 1943 2,536,397Schlegel Jan. 2, 1951 2,603,349 Van Antwerpen July 15, 1952 2,681,733Welshenbach June 22, 1954 2,684,153 Freiberg July 20, 1954 2,741,362Cortright Apr. 10, 1956

